Matches to Make After TUF Nations Finale

A dogged commitment to takedowns, an oppressive top game and a
pocketful of clubbing overhand rights carried Kennedy to a
unanimous verdict over Michael
Bisping in “The Ultimate Fighter Nations” Finale headliner on
Wednesday at the Colisee Pepsi in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada.
Scores were 49-46, 49-46 and 50-45, all in Kennedy’s favor.

Bisping lacked his usual venom and vigor in his first appearance in
nearly a year. Kennedy grounded “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 3
winner in the first, third and fifth rounds and passed his guard
with surprising ease, moving to full mount on multiple occasions.
Bisping did his best work in the second round, where he picked up
the pace, kept Kennedy off-balance and denied the Jackson-Wink MMA
representative’s takedown attempts. Still, it did little to curb
Kennedy’s resolve.

The one-sided victory over Bisping will likely do wonders for
Kennedy’s stock within the division. The 34-year-old has delivered
wins in eight of his past 10 bouts, losing only to former
Strikeforce champions Luke
Rockhold and Ronaldo
Souza. Having cracked the top 10 at 185 pounds, Kennedy figures
to catch another marquee matchup the next time he sets foot inside
the Octagon. Gegard
Mousasi and Mark Munoz
will duke it out at UFC Fight Night 42 on May 31 in Berlin, with
the winner emerging as an intriguing option for the surging
Kennedy.

Bisping’s immediate future seems far less clear. At 35 and with a
career-threatening eye injury in his rearview mirror, one has to
wonder how long “The Count” can operate at an elite level. His next
outing, perhaps against the loser of the forthcoming UFC 172
showdown between Rockhold and Tim Boetsch,
could prove telling. Though Bisping’s 14 victories inside the
Octagon rank eighth on the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s
all-time list, he has not posted consecutive wins since December
2011.

In wake of “The Ultimate Fighter Nations” Finale, here are five
other matchups that ought to be considered:

Patrick Cote
vs. Thiago
Alves-Seth
Baczynski winner: Cote has quietly rattled off seven
wins in his last eight appearances, and while his days as a serious
contender are likely behind him, “The Predator” still has plenty to
offer at 170 pounds. The 34-year-old took care of business against
opposing “The Ultimate Fighter Nations” coach Kyle Noke in
the co-main event, utilizing takedowns and ground-and-pound against
the durable Aussie. Cote’s work netted him a unanimous decision.
Alves and Baczynski will lock horns at UFC on Fox 11 on April 19 in
Orlando, Fla.

Dustin
Poirier vs. Nik
Lentz-Manny
Gamburyan winner: Aggression nearly cost Poirier
against “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 14 semifinalist Akira
Corassani, as the American Top Team standout marched forward
with reckless abandon and walked into a number of power punches
from the Swede. The world-ranked Louisianan survived his encounter
with Corassani’s fists, scoring a second-round finish with an
uppercut to the nose and follow-up punches. The victory moved the
25-year-old Poirier to 8-2 inside the Octagon. Lentz and Gamburyan
will face one another at UFC Fight Night 41 on May 10 in
Cincinnati.

K.J.
Noons vs. Tony
Ferguson-Katsunori
Kikuno winner: Noons authored his most impressive
performance in recent memory, as he knocked out Sam Stout with
a right hook and subsequent ground strikes just 30 seconds into
their welterweight scrap. The former EliteXC champion has won
back-to-back bouts since suffering consecutive decision losses to
Josh
Thomson, Ryan
Couture and Donald
Cerrone. Noons now figures to return to his more familiar
haunts at 155 pounds. Ferguson and Kikuno will match skills at UFC
173 on May 24 in Las Vegas.

Sarah
Kaufman vs. Miesha
Tate-Liz
Carmouche winner: A former Strikeforce champion,
Kaufman recorded her first win inside the Octagon with a lopsided
unanimous decision over Leslie
Smith. The Canadian overwhelmed Smith with volume and accuracy,
unleashing multi-punch combinations to the head throughout the
15-minute clash. Kaufman remains a viable contender at 135 pounds,
as her only two official defeats have come to reigning UFC
titleholder Ronda
Rousey and Dutch stalwart Marloes
Coenen. Tate and Carmouche, both of whom were beaten by Kaufman
in Strikeforce, will collide in the UFC on Fox 11 co-main
event.

Ryan Jimmo
vs. Fabio
Maldonado: Jimmo won for the 19th time in 21 fights
and once again showed a flair for the dramatic, as he knocked out
newcomer Sean O’Connell 4:27 into their light heavyweight tilt. The
Canadian karateka still has never suffered consecutive losses as a
professional. Maldonado, perhaps the best pure boxer on the UFC
roster, extended his current winning streak to three fights with a
unanimous decision over former Ring of Combat champion Gian
Villante at UFC Fight Night 39 in March.